Targeted Podcast True Crime Domestic Violence

1.2 The Beating Melisha Gibson

Targeted: True Crime Domestic Violence. We’ll investigate
one case of family violence each season, using academic research to
interpret the events so that we can become better advocates.

Examining the 1976 death of Melisha Gibson, a 4-year-old girl
who died after days of abuse at the hands of her stepfather.
Today’s episode focuses on the beating that Melisha received from
10/11-10/13/76.

Future episodes will provide the academic details I’ve promised
including a discussion on the type of domestic violence that Ronnie
Maddux perpetrated, an examination of the mother’s actions and why
she stayed in an abusive relationship, an investigation of possible
reasons why Ronnie developed into such a savage abuser, a frank
look at the trial and how a mother was convicted of murder despite
not harming her child and not participating in the violence.
Finally, we’ll look at the changes made in social services and laws
so that kids would be better protected and find out if there are
still refinements we can make today.